Flexible-rod, sewer cleaning apparatus



June 25, 1935. H. R. CRANE FLEXIBLE ROD SEWER CLEANING APPARATUS Filed March 26, 1954 Imaan/TORl /'iwme/ W TORNEY. i

Patented June 25, 1935 UNITED STATES FLEXIBLE-ROD, SEWER CLEANING APPARATUS Hubert R. Crane, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application March 26, 1934, Serial No. '117,387

3 Claims.

This invention relates. to sewer cleaning ap paratus.

An object of the invention is to provide, in a sewer cleaning apparatus of the type including a series of detachably connected, flexible rods, a means in the form of lever arm wrenches connected to the line of rods whereby,lwhi1e the cleaning tool on the head of the rod string is taking a bite in an obstruction in a sewer, the torque in therod can be easily and safely retained by one wrench whilst the other is being turned back by its operator to get a new hold for application of more torque or to change its point of application along the series of rods.

Unless these wrenches are connected safely to the rod line there is grave danger that the reaction of the torque will iiip the wrench or wrenches free of the line and do injury to person or property that may be struck. Hence a purpose is to positively connect the wrenches to the line of rods.

Further, an object is to provide for the effective connection of.a wrench at any of the rod couplings in the series and to avoid the practice of applying the turning power only at the outer end of the rod series for the reason that much better purchase and torque may be had if the effort is applied just as-c1ose to the mouth of the sewer as is possible in the rod line. And, at the same time enable turning effort either to feed in the rod or to pull it from the sewer without uncoupling the series.

The invention consists in certain advancements in this art as set forth in the ensuing disclosure and having, with the above, additional objects and advantages as hereinafterdeveloped, and whose construction, combination and details of means, and the manner of operation will be made manifest in the description of the herewith illustrative embodiment; it being understood that modifications, variations and adaptations may be resorted to within the scope, principle and spirit of the invention as it is more directly claimed hereinafter. l

Figure 1 is a small-scale, schematic diagram Q f a'flexible-rod- ,line in working positionin a sewer; with`two wrenches in place on couplings.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional elevation of a form of coupling, and

Figure 3 is a cross-section thereof on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a plan of a bar type wrench, witha through-pin connector.

A series of spring rods 2 have their ends adapted, as by a bend 3, to be securely, non-turnably (Cl: 15a-104.30)

fastened in a coupler block 4 in any of a variety of modes. Preferably the blocks have a noncircular part 5 to receive a safety wrench. They may also have a cross-hole 6 for a through-pin Wrench as seen in Fig. 4.

Any desired type of lead or head tool 'l may be applied to the leading rod 2.

Where necessary the rod string may be guided in a tube 8 removably fixed in a manhole M of a sewer S, with its upper end at the mouth of the 10 hole so that workmen on the surface may most eiiiciently operate.

I have found it highly desirable to have means applied just as close as possible to the sewer mouth for turning the rod line as far better con- 15 trol is had than Where the turning tool is applied only on the end of the tail end of the string, as heretofore has been the practice. I have devised and used a system of Wrenches in the successful accomplishment of rod turning by such applica- 20 tion at the mouth of the sewer.

A Additionally, I have obtained more eiiicient operation in all particulars by providing a higher factor of safety by devising a wrench means which can be readily connected at any coupler 4 25 in the string of rods, in sucha manner that the wrench cannot be disconnected without intentional removing action from the coupler by the operator. In other words, an applied wrench cannot flip olf or drop from the line, once it has 30 been properly applied and yet is readily removable from the line as a coupler advances into the sewer.

The form of wrench structure shown in Fig. 4, includes a pair of handle bars 9 one of which has 35 a reduced end screw 9a to pass through the hole 6, Fig. 2, of a coupler 4 and screw into the cornplementary end of the bar 9 on the opposite side of the coupler as in Fig. 1. This wrench can be readily attached to and detached from the cou` '40 plers at the manhole and operated with facility and safety to turn the rod string.

The form of coupler 4 here shown includes a screw 'I binding'on a removable bushing 8 which r is longitudinally slotted to receive the introduced, contiguous, hook end of a rod 2 to join it in the, series as the Working tool advances. along the sewer being cleaned. p

Two or more operators may be applying power at the same time in a far more advantageous manner than is possible with prior types of tools of this class where only one wrench was used on the outer end of the rod line.

What is claimed is:

1. Sewer cleaning apparatus having, in combination, a series of aligned flexible rods, a plurality of couplers connecting the rods for two way rotation of the series of rods, and a plurality of readily detachable wrenches locked to spaced ones of the couplers to apply torque to the series of rods in either direction, at least one of the said wrenches being intermediate the ends of the series of rods.

2. Sewer cleaning apparatus having, in combination, a series of exible rods, a series of couplers connecting contiguous ends of the rods in alignment and for two way rotation of the series of rods, and a plurality of detachable wrenches locked individually to spaced couplers along the 

